New diplomas signal school timetable switch

9:38am Tuesday 15th July 2008

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SOME pupils at York secondary schools will be spending one day a week in another school from September.

The first five new vocational diplomas will be available in construction and the built environment; engineering; IT; and society, health and development; and creative and media.

In York, students will be able to study diploma qualifications in society, health and development and engineering at a number of schools – with the hope of more diplomas being available in years to come.

This has raised a problem with common timetabling in Key Stage 4 for pupils aged 14 to 16 years of age because no school can offer the full range of diplomas by itself.

If learners wish to study a diploma as part of their programme of study they will, in many cases, have to attend another school for one day a week to do so.

Schools across the city have been working out a common timetable to ensure that pupils will not miss any elements of the rest of their programme which will include English, maths and science.

In York, the society, health and development diploma will be available to about 100 14 to 16-year-olds from all city schools, and can be delivered at All Saints’ RC School, Burnholme Community College, Canon Lee School, Fulford School, Joseph Rowntree School, Millthorpe School and York High School.

The engineering diploma will be available to about 70 students at Archbishop Holgate’s School and York High School.

Diplomas are new qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds, which will offer young people an alternative to traditional GCSEs and A-levels.

Funding for the diplomas will come from £142,000 of diploma support grant from the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) on a per student basis.

There will be additional provision at Manor CE School in music technology, laying the groundwork for a creative and media diploma to be taught in 2009/10.

Meanwhile, York College will work with four partner schools to lay the groundwork for a construction and the built environment diploma, starting in 2010/11. This provision will be supported by some of £340,000 in additional grants from the DCSF.

For post-16 students, the society, health and development diploma will be available through York College, working in partnership with York Training Centre.

Diplomas will be available in three tiers – at Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Foundation diplomas (Level 1) will be equivalent to five GCSEs (grades D-G).

Higher diplomas (Level 2) will be equivalent to seven GCSEs (grades A*-C).

Advanced diplomas (Level 3) will be equivalent to three-and a-half A-levels.

The new diplomas

Diploma provision for September 2008: Society, health & development groups for pre-16 learners based at: Canon Lee, Millthorpe, York High School, All Saints’, Joseph Rowntree, Burnholme/Fulford (joint delivery). Post 16 at: All Saints’, York College. Engineering groups for pre and post-16 learners based at: Archbishop Holgate’s, York College.